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Automation Overview

SharpSpring allows you to create powerful automation based on your lead's behavior.

Automation in SharpSpring are comprised of workflows and action groups, which themselves are comprised of various actions or events.

When dealing with automation, be aware that new automation will not trigger retroactively, will not fire based on changes made through imports or bulk editing, and the trigger will only fire for leads who meet the criteria at times after the trigger is activated.

This article will provide an overview of the different options for both workflows and action groups.

Workflows: Form Actions

The following is a list of triggers and filters that are available for form actions:

Term

Description

Options

Trigger

Filter

fills outthe form

When a lead submits a specific form that you specify in the text input.

The form must be a tracked form in SharpSpring (including native and third-party forms that have been tracked).

at any time

during business hours

during non-business hours

✓

✓

fills outany form

When a lead submits any tracked form in SharpSpring (including native and third-party forms that have been tracked).

can choose a number of times for any form submission

can be exactly, greater, or less than that amount

✓

✓

has notfilled outthe form

Checks to see if a lead has yet to submit a form that you specified in the text input.

n/a

✗

✓

Workflows: Lead Actions

The following is a list of triggers and filters that are available for lead actions:

Term

Description

Options

Trigger

Filter

has the field

As a trigger: When a lead has a field (can be either a standard field or any Custom Field you create) that is changed and saved to a specific value.

As a filter: When a lead has the field (can be either a standard field or any Custom Field you create) that contains a specific value.

exactly

not equals

or more

or less

included

in multiple values

not in multiple values

✓

✓

has thelead score

When a lead as their lead score hit a designated value.

Using a lead score trigger/filter as a list rule will add contacts to a list, but it will not remove them based off of a decayed score.

Lead Score decay is a natural event, not a save event. As such, decayed lead scores will not be trigger for dynamic lists or automation. Lead scores that are updated through lead actions (such as a site visit) will fire. However, if someone's lead score naturally decays past a threshold designated in a trigger, then the trigger will not fire.

exactly

or more

or less

✓

✓

is owned by

When a lead is assigned to a designated user of your platform (such as a Salesperson).

n/a

✓

✓

has thedate field

When a lead has a specific date field (such as Contract Renewal Date or Last Customer Meeting Date), change to any value.

n/a

✓

✗

is notowned by

When a lead is notassigned to a designated user of your platform (such as Salesperson).

Workflows: Account Actions

The following is a list of triggers and filters that are available for account actions:

Term

Description

Options

Trigger

Filter

has the field

When an account has a specified field that you select from a drop-down menu.

options vary based on selected field

✓

✓

is owned by

When an account is assigned to an owner that you select from a drop-down menu.

n/a

✓

✓

is not owned by

When an account is not assigned to an owner that you select from a drop-down menu.

n/a

✗

✓

is added to

When a contact is added to an account.

n/a

✓

✓

Workflows: Opportunity Actions

The following is a list of triggers and filters that are available for opportunity actions:

Term

Description

Options

Trigger

Filter

has the field

When an opportunity has a specified field that you select from a drop-down menu.

options vary based on selected field

checkbox option to only schedule actions to the opportunity's primary contact

✓

✓

is assigned to

When an opportunity is assigned to an owner that you specify from a drop-down menu.

checkbox option to only schedule actions to the opportunity's primary contact

✓

✓

is not assigned to

When an opportunity is not assigned to an owner that you specify from a drop-down menu.

checkbox option to only schedule actions to the opportunity's primary contact

✗

✓

is added to

When a contact is added to an opportunity.

n/a

✓

✓

has the status

When an opportunity is set to Open, Won, Lost, or Archived.

checkbox option to only schedule actions to the opportunity's primary contact

✓

✓

Action Groups

Action groups in SharpSpring are actions, or a series of actions, that occur over a designated period of time. Action groups are incredibly diverse and can be used to build out simple auto-responders for form submissions, or to build out complex multi-step nurture campaigns that include various actions occurring over days, weeks, or months. Action groups can be manually assigned to a specific lead, manually scheduled across a list, or triggered using automation.

Action groups differ from branches. Reusable action groups are a collection of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or be manually scheduled to a list. Branches are not action groups. Branches refer to a collection of actions created for use only within a visual workflow. As the name implies, this collection of actions branch out from the action group and are dependent upon additional criteria in order to function. Branches will not be added as reusable, standalone action groups.

There are three categories of action groups that you can build:

Standard: These action groups are comprised entirely of after events. This means that an action occurs, and then action group events happen after that action. These actions can happen immediately after, a day after, a week after, or any other denomination of time after the action. These action groups can only be scheduled to a lead one time.

Time-based: These action groups utilize Custom Date/Time fields that you can create. To create a time-based action group, you first click the checkbox in the action group section, and then choose the specific Custom Date/Time field you will build the action group around. The timing of events in time-based action groups are based on the value in the Custom Date/Time field, and not on when the lead was added to the action group. This allows for you to create events before the Custom Date/Time Field if that value is in the future.

Repeatable: Where standard action groups can only be scheduled a single time to a lead, repeatable action groups can be scheduled as often as we like. A lead will only be ineligible to receive a repeatable action group if they get excluded from the action group.

Action Groups: Contact Events

The following is a list of events that are available for contacts:

Term

Description

Options

send theemail

Sends a specific email to the leads added to the action group.

Select the email by searching for the email's name in the text box.

checkbox to send during next available business hours

Action Groups: Notification Events

The following is a list of events that are available for notifications:

Term

Description

Options

send anotificationto email

Sends a notification to a specified email address.

This email does not need to be associated with a user in SharpSpring.

checkbox to send to lead owner instead, when available

send anotificationto a user

Sends notification to a specific user in SharpSpring.

The notification is sent to the email address for that user.

checkbox to send text message as well

checkbox to send to lead owner instead, when available

postbacklead info

Posts lead information to an external web application through use of that application's postback URL.

n/a

Action Groups: Referral Events

The following is a list of events that are available for referrals:

Term

Description

Options

send theemail toreferrer

Sends a specific email to the referrer for the lead that triggered the action group.

Select the email by searching in the text box.

checkbox to send during next available business hours

send a notification to referrer

Sends notification to the referrer for the lead that triggered the action group.

n/a

Action Groups: List Events

The following is a list of events that are available for lists:

Term

Description

Options

add to list

Adds the lead to a specific list in SharpSpring.

Select the list by searching in the text box.

n/a

add to lists with tag

Adds the lead to lists with a specific list tag.

Select the list tag by choosing from a drop-down.

n/a

removefrom list

Removes the lead from a specific list in SharpSpring.

Select the list by typing in the text box.

n/a

removefrom listswith tag

Removes the lead from lists with a specific list tag.

Select the list tag by choosing from a drop-down menu.

n/a

Action Groups: Lead Edit Events

The following is a list of events that are available for lead edits:

Term

Description

Options

removefrom action group

Removes the lead from a specific action group.

Select the action group by searching in the text box.

checkbox to exclude this lead from being re-added to the action group in the future